


Alya’s in Trouble, Must be Tuesday

by overworkedunderwhelmed



Series: Drabbles Gone Rogue [18]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anansi - Freeform, Angst and Fluff, BUT TAKE IT, Banter, Based solely on the synopsis, Battle, Episode Specualtion, F/M, Major Spoilers for Season 2, Speculative Piece, Take this with a whole shaker of salt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-05-26 19:42:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15007988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overworkedunderwhelmed/pseuds/overworkedunderwhelmed
Summary: When Alya manages to land herself in a whole web of lies -- and trouble -- Nino struggles to save her.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta read for now.
> 
> Entirely a speculative piece, based upon the plot synopsis of Anansi.
> 
> If you can recognize where the title came from...congratulations, you probably feel as old as I do. ;)

Scraping the back of his hand across his the beads of sweat that covered his forehead, Nino replaced his hat. He shut his eyes, plastered his back against the brick before peeking around the side of the alley.

There was the most massive, terrifying spider he’d ever seen spitting web across the the streets of Paris. Nothing _ever_ got that huge -- at least not without the aid of Paris's resident super-villain.

And there, in the center of her web, was his his reason for sticking around when everyone else had run screaming in the opposite direction.

Struggling against the sticky silk, Alya was suspended at least dozen feet off the ground.

Clever as his girlfriend was, Alya had managed to free an arm, sending yet another up-too-close and personal account as a live stream on the Ladyblog.

Of course, it was that nasty little habit that had landed all of them in this trouble in the first place.

At least she was keeping it talking, as the spider lurched, ever closer.

Even as she was stuck in place, Alya faced the giant spider head on, with so much bravery that it bordered on the absurd.

A slow, steady exhale slipped past his lips. At least it wasn't the alarming pace it had used in spinning its deadly web. 

He grimaced, scouring the streets for some way he might help her break free. It was a shame he couldn’t find anything larger than a trash can lid to shield himself so he get close enough to help. 

It had been at least five minutes and there had still been no sign of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Not even as her stream had started up, surely alerting the heroes to where their help would be needed.

He been much more comfortable around others who had been Akumatized when they had been there. But he couldn't afford to stay still. 

Not while Alya needed him. Not with as close as this Akuma was to her.

Clenching his jaw, Nino crept forward, sticking to the shadows and cover of the row of houses as best he could. In his brief survey, the best hope he could find was a long metal pole, capped by a cloth an umbrella from the hastily abandoned café.

His shoulders tightening, Nino adjusted his grip on the over-sized umbrella, tugging it free of its post. Frowning, he hefted it, struggling to wield both the pole and the trash can shield at once. 

If the sticky web hung in barely shimmering clumps were any indication, the spider’s reach was still much too far for his comfort. 

He couldn’t do either of them any good if he got snagged himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Enberlight for a beta read on this chapter!

Alya Césaire was no fool.

But hanging upside down in a spider web of her Akumatized sister’s own making...that was giving her pause.

It hadn’t taken her long to piece together who had been akumatized. 

She knew how Nora acted. Alya herself had learned half her own tricks from her. She always was inclined to play with her food, she chuckled darkly. 

But some part of herself must have persisted for Alya herself to be looming still aware and captured in her web, instead of fully cocooned in spider silk as she had seen as she and Nino had scrambled through the city.

Struggling against the sticky web, Alya was half lost in thought, desperately trying to puzzle a best way out. She and Nino had gotten split up, but there was no way to tell whether he had already been captured himself.

She wasn’t exactly sure what it was that had set Nora off, but there was no doubt in her mind it was some mixture of anger and fear -- possibly for Alya’s own safety.

Nora had been so convinced that she was running in thoughtlessly, chasing after superheroes without a care for her own safety.

That was perhaps the very reason that Anansi seemed to be biding her time, stalking back and forth across the silken strands.

Trying -- and failing -- to rile her up.

“Ah, ah, ah, Little Sister,” Nora’s voice chided, a hissed strain that was barely recognizable behind a terrifying mask that slowly morphed into a close facsimile of her sisters. “You mustn't struggle too much. Not before your little friends arrive.”

Alya grit her teeth, even more intent to tug herself free. “What makes you so sure they’ll come for me?”

Anansi tensed up at that. 

Alya smirked at her reaction.

At least until Anansi's sharper voice cut like a knife. “I don’t know, little sister…have your heroes ever failed to come after an Akuma?”

Flinching, Alya let her eyes narrow, covering the fact that she’d managed to free her phone camera enough to show her sister’s temporary monstrous form.. 

“Do not fool yourself, Alya.” Anansi grin grew menacing. “You are little more than a very convenient distraction.”

She knew she might be a little rash, always ready to tail after Akuma to get the best source for her blog, but that had been twofold. She had a personal dedication to the truth. The reality of that made her blog one of the main sources of information on Paris’s superheroes...and it made her own name that much stronger.

Nora might never understand, but this was her chance to step out of the long shadow her big sister had cast. With Nora’s athletic accomplishments and the never ending chore of reigning in the twins, it hadn’t really been easy for Alya to grab the spotlight for herself. For years, the most she could claim was that she was actually really good with kids and a decent student. And the most that ever got her was a special dinner now and again...and extra time tasked with babysitting duty.

Now, she’d been on national TV more than once now, demonstrating her own expertise. A budding career in investigative journalism was hers for the taking, provided she continued to run down the leads as they came up.

A big scoop, short of revealing Ladybug and Chat Noir’s identities, could do that for her.

After she had been Akumatized months ago, she knew she couldn’t blast that information out into the world. Of course, she still wanted it for herself.

Having been inside of a transformation of her own had given her a fresh perspective on the matter of secret identities. But if the information was there, clear enough for her to find -- with as much as she paid attention to the pair of them -- she could at least put out information that would send all but only the most determined reporters fleeing in the opposite direction.

She was hoping for more: to puzzle out more about the big butterfly himself.

Her own akumatized form had shown a preference for being well connected to put Ladybug’s identity out -- all because she had been convinced the hateful Chloé Bourgeois had been hiding behind Ladybug’s mask at the time.

But all of her sisters going for the myths they had all been told as children?

She expected it from Ella and Etta, especially after they had just been talking about the puckish Sapotis.

But Nora? Somehow she had expected more from the big sister she looked up to for so long. Her innate sense of strategy was much better than that. She was more _clever_ than that.

“Speaking of distractions,” Anansi’s grin grew dark and malicious, hovering ever closer to furtively peer through the web. “It seems you brought along a little friend.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to Enberlight for her help with beta-reading.

“This isn’t working, Chaton.” 

Ladybug’s yoyo spun furiously, cutting through the threads, but slowing down steadily as she tried to cut through the thicker pieces.

His baton was out, swatting off spiders that were nearly half his size with enough force that they skittered off in the opposite direction.

They were determined little things, but fresh from their web-like cocoon, they weren’t spewing out the sticky web that had required Cataclysm after Cataclysm to break free from.

Yet for all of that,they were no closer to finding the Akuma and setting Paris back to rights.

He breathed heavily, a little more worn down as they both leapt free of the ground to scramble across the rooftops. “I know. I’m not sure how many more transformations I have in me today.”

It had taken a while to realize that the maze of spider web hadn’t been the location of their Akuma after all, but a very literal trap the Akumatized villain had left.

The spider Akuma snagged and wrapped probably a few dozen people, if the size of the web had been any indication.

Chat and Ladybug had walked past many of them, looking for signs of life in the web-like nest. For some sign of where to find their Akuma.

All had been startlingly quiet until some of those web rustled open, unleashing a good dozen mindless human sized spider minions…

At first, they could only skitter about, but before long they could spin out sticky, hard to see web that had captured each of them once already.

And when they could spin web, they could also chase them across the rooftops.

“We could really use an extra paw, my Lady.” Chat Noir grimaced, as he spotted the minion-like spiders skittering to the roof behind them. “Think Rena Rouge might be around to lend one?”

Ladybug frowned, spotting the group of spiders as well. But at least they hadn’t moved from the rooftop they skittered up, so they couldn’t shoot enough webbing yet to follow. “Let’s put a little more distance between us and them, and I’ll try to reach out to Rena. If she doesn’t answer, then our old friend may have some idea how to find her.”

Chat Noir landed beside her on the roof, far more winded than he would have liked.

* * *

“Do you have anything more for your Kwami?”

He winced, leaning over his baton as the last paw pad chirped on his ring. “Just one more bite.”

Ladybug frowned, pointing to the other side of the rooftop, so they could keep watch for spiders. She would look out the other way to keep him safe while he was de-transformed. 

She was still adamant that she couldn’t know who he was, of course. But it warmed his heart to know that she absolutely refused to leave him unprotected when she knew he would be vulnerable.

Adrien sighed, slumping against the brick as he pulled the last bit of Camembert from its wrapping in his shirt pocket. 

Without a word, Plagg nibbled away as Adrien pulled his phone from his pocket. He had complained last time, but his glowing green eyes eyes had widened as Adrien offered him the entire wrapper.

Ladybug spoke up from the other side of the chimney. “It’s pretty clear the Akuma isn’t here. And if your supplies are that low, we need to figure out where we need to head and re-stock.”

Adrien hummed his agreement. He didn’t dare say anything more, not without his mask firmly in place. 

“I’m going to see if Nadja Chamack has anything yet.”

He was about to load up the news sites to search for a hint there, when he spotted the Ladyblog’s feed was live.

Hovering above his shoulder, Plagg met his panicked gaze and quickly gulped back the last of the cheese.

They needed to move -- fast.

* * *

Slightly winded though she was, Ladybug had grinned victoriously. “My kwami rolled her eyes when I asked, but tagging the Ladyblogger’s cell phone was a smart decision.”

Chat Noir’s own grin widened as they bounced off another rooftop, adjusting their direction. “Bet she wouldn’t be happy about that if she knew.”

“I didn’t exactly plan to tell her.” The smirk lingered on her face. “Usually I’ve just used it to make sure she wasn’t anywhere near when one of the really destructive Akuma were around.” 

He chuckled, eyes still on the lookout. They had to be getting close now. Silky strands of web flit about through the air, making it far more challenging to navigate their usual path around the city.

His distance vision was far better. 

And he already didn’t like what he was seeing.

* * *

Nino lingered closer as Alya continued to struggle. The giant spider seemed to be watching the other side of her web.

And she was so much bigger than he’d thought.

Spiders were freaky enough when they crossed his path out of nowhere. The little ones he had been tempted to release...well outside of his house. Even with some of the big ones he had quashed his own temptation to squash them out of pure fearful instinct.

But this spider -- this _Akuma_ , his mind corrected -- was massive.

Squishing was _not_ an option. 

Nino’s face paled, his knuckles almost whitening as he tensed his hold on the umbrella.

He just had to hope he could break Alya free with his first move.

And drop the umbrella to catch her.

And get them both safely into one of the buildings before the Akuma noticed.

All while holding onto the lid in case the spider came after him next.

 _No sweat_ , Nino thought, biting back a whimper, and setting himself to strike. 

* * *

The moment he’d spotted Nino’s red hat and the spider sprinting towards him, Chat Noir had bounded down into the fray.

Baton extended, he easily parried Anansi's strike.

Ladybug grinned, swinging over to where Alya was bound, her mouth sealed with webbing.

Fear plain as day written in her best friend’s eyes.

Ladybug’s own eyes widened.

Just in time to see Chat Noir getting encased inside another cocoon of web beside Nino.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enber made it look pretty again! <3

Ladybug grimaced, balancing precariously against the web. 

She didn’t dare place too much weight on her feet. This webbing was seriously sticky, and she already knew her yo-yo could only do so much damage against the sticky strands. Her costume kept her about as light and nimble as possible, but it wasn’t worth taking any chances.

Especially as Chat Noir just got himself encased in one of those cocoons. She had no way of knowing whether he (and Nino) might just fall into a suspended animation, or if they were already well on their way of being turned into rather terrifying super-spiders to do battle on behalf on Anansi.

The neon purple outline of a butterfly sat stark against Anansi’s face. Clearly Hawkmoth wasn’t any happier with than situation than she was.

But she couldn’t afford to waste a moment.

Not while she knew she needed to get Alya free. Not when she really needed to get Alya out of here and back to Master Fu to grab her miraculous. They would need every spare hand they could get to take on this spider.

Ladybug grit her teeth, tugging at the sticky, braided strands that circled around Alya’s waist, locking her firmly in place. 

“Let’s get you out of here…”

Alya’s gaze never met hers -- not entirely. But she nodded, her own fingers tugging into the strands as well.

Surely, Alya would know the best way to get one over on her sister. She just needed a boost of powers -- and a few tricks of her own -- in order the level the playing field.

Flinching, Ladybug quickly realized that this was higher test webbing as one of her gloves got stuck in the middle of the thick mass of strands.

The fear in Alya’s eyes only escalated as the shadow of Anansi loomed dangerously close overhead.

* * *

Chat Noir’s breath was shallow, clawing furiously into the thick webbing.

He’d been hoping it would get him some purchase to pry them to both out, but thus far he hadn’t had any luck. The sticky web was basically hardening before his very eyes.

Which left only one option. But it wasn’t one he really wanted to use at the moment. Not with his refueling resources totally drained.

But Nino wasn’t able to breath well. And that meant he didn’t have that much longer before he’d been in trouble, too.

His jaw set, Chat leaned back against Nino. “I’m getting us out of here, okay?”

Nino’s eyes widened, but he didn’t dare to speak. Not with so little oxygen in the air.

‘Keep clear of my claws, alright?” he cautioned.

But Chat Noir’s timing was impeccable. His claws grazed along the hardened shell, Cataclysm darkening the pure white wall to the blackest pitch before it crumbled to dust around their feet.

He and Nino both fell to their knees, gasping for air, struggling to breathe through the cloud of dust billowing into the air.

* * *

A shaky laugh slipped past Ladybug’s lips as she dodged another sticky mass of web from Anansi’s mouth.

Alya grumbled as a bit of the web stuck to her one free arm.

But Ladybug just closed her eyes, leaning closer to Chat Noir where he kneeled on the empty street, hopeful that her words would get through to him, even as he still coughed and sputtered on the sidewalk.

“Kitty!” Her voice shook slightly, her shoulders curled as she hunched protectively over Alya. “Get him out of here!’

Chat gazed up at her, a pained look amplified in his glowing green eyes. The sight was all the more pitiful as he and Nino still panted heavily.

“Go on, Chaton.” Blue eyes flashed, determination clear in them as she ordered him away. “Take the boy and get out of here. I can handle this.”

Alya gaped at her, incredulous gaze turned to Chat Noir as he scooped up Nino over his shoulder. “Are you _crazy_?”

Anansi just chuckled darkly, towering overhead. “My dear little sister is right. Those are very big words from such a _little_ bug.”

* * *

Chat Noir sped across the rooftops, careful not to jostle Nino too much as he recovered his breath.

His Lady had a _plan_. 

He knew from the moment he’d met Ladybug’s gaze. He was certain he had _spotted_ the barest hint of mischief. For as much as she should have been panicking, she was calm and sure of what she was asking him to do.

Chat Noir blanched. He just wasn’t sure what, exactly, she had wanted him to do, aside from what she’d spoken aloud. 

She surely knew he needed to refuel again; but he hadn’t the slightest clue where she’d wanted him to head.

And the thready beep of his ring signaled that he didn’t have much time before his transformation would expire.

“Your little act was pretty heroic,” Chat Noir mused, peering back over his shoulder for any sign of followers on his tail. “Although, jousting works a lot better with a weapon that can actually take out your foe.”

“I wasn’t thinking about being a hero.” Nino coughed, blowing out a haggard breath as he steadied himself against the superhero's shoulders. “I just wanted to get Alya free.”

A wide grin curved Chat Noir's lips, as a plan started to form in his own mind. He shifted direction mid-flight, turning due south. “I _think_ I can help you do one better than that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still trying to gun and finish this one up before we actually get the real episode. 
> 
> *crosses fingers that it might actually happen*


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks as always to ENberlight for helping to make this all pretty. ❤ ❤ ❤

Chat Noir had almost run himself ragged, racing towards the lower array of rooftops very near to the Guardian’s home. 

Nino groaned, clutching his stomach and looking a little green around the gills from the rapid pace of their escape. “We need to go back.”

“And we will.” Chat Noir assured him, correcting his grip on under his friend’s knees. Claws never seemed nearly so dangerous. “If you could stop trying to choke me..." 

Nino blinked, opening his eyes quickly to readjust his grip, before groaning and slamming them shut again. "Sorry, man." 

Half-exhausted, Chat Noir dropped down from the rooftop beside the Guardian's house. “This is kind of like a safe house. I rescued the guy who lived here once, and he’s kept a bit of food on hand for true emergencies. I can’t very well walk in at home like this.”

Nino nodded. That made a strange sort of sense.

"Look, I can't promise you can help...but if there's a way that you could, would you take it?"

To his credit, Nino didn’t hesitate for a moment. “Absolutely, dude.”

Chat Noir couldn’t help but smile at that. “Okay. As soon as I can recharge… I promise we’ll head back. I don’t like leaving my Lady alone any more than you do.”

Blushing furiously, Nino followed him closely, a little uncertain where in Paris they had ended up.

Chuckling, Chat leaped up onto the wooden floor of the porch. “Stick close, and I’ll help you get back to Alya soon.”

Blinking, Nino tugged his hat off his head, straightening it before he set it back in place. “You know Alya?” 

“It’s hard not to know the girl who’s come closer to unmasking us than anyone…” Chat smirked. “Especially not when she has a nasty habit of tailing us on occasion.”

Nino sigh was loud enough to be heard over the shuffling slide of the wooden door.

“Ah. Chat Noir.” The old man hadn’t even looked up, pouring a fresh pot of tea at the low table near in the center of the room. “I saw there was a battle. You must be hungry.”

“Yes, Master Fu. If you had a little something I could use.” 

Looking up, Master Fu’s eyes widened, before he stood with the aid of his cane. “Ah...I didn’t realize you had a friend with you.”

“Nino Lahiffe, sir.” A bit awkwardly, Nino extended his hand.

The old man beamed, returning the gesture. “Wait here, young man. I’ll get a bit more tea and food for Chat Noir.” He tapped his cane noisy upon the floorboards. He usually left Chat Noir in the main room to recover before he let him show himself out. But that wasn't an option today.

“I assume you’ll need a bit privacy as well, then.”

Chat Noir nodded.

“Then I’ll also take you to a room that should suffice.” He gestured for Chat Noir to follow and led the way from the room.

* * *

Nino blinked, gazing about the austere room he’d where he found himself alone. There wasn’t much in the place at all. Just a low table, a bit of artwork, and... 

Eyes widening, Nino gravitated to the old Phonograph.

His lips curved upwards as he leaned over, marveling at -- and tinkering with -- the mechanical pieces. Ever so gently, he fiddled brass knobs, trying to coax the antique machine to play its secrets.

He was so occupied that he completely missed the tiny turtle hovering behind the box, looking up at him with thinly veiled interest.

* * *

Master Fu frowned as he led Adrien to the kitchen to feed Plagg. He understood very well why Chat was there. He’d been watching the limited coverage of the battle, with Wayzz telling him how often Tikki and Plagg kept powering down, so a visit had seemed inevitable.

But seeing who came with Chat Noir was more of a surprise.

“I had expected Ladybug might visit as well.” Master Fu’s peered over at Chat Noir, glad that he and Wayzz had the forethought to have grabbed Rena Rouge’s Miraculous from the hiding place as they’d waited. “I had been holding onto something I thought she might need.”

Chat Noir halted at the door, slipping the bag Master Fu had offered him into his zippered pocket. “I’ll bring it to her. But I also wanted to ask if my friend can help. This Akuma is a little _intense_ , and Ladybug and I will need a hand for sure.” He frowned, resting one claw upon the door jamb. “I didn’t exactly have a choice in leaving Ladybug on the battlefield. We need one more pair of hands, and Rena Rouge is nowhere to be found.”

Master Fu arched an eyebrow. “She doesn’t keep her Miraculous. Not while Hawkmoth is still an unknown level of threat. I’m not tempted to have him know about the others, but there is a certain possibility that he has already aware of some of the miraculous.”

“As Queen Bee has already appeared, there is only one other he could be suspecting if he managed to get ahold of a certain book.”

As Chat’s eyes widened, Master Fu was sure he knew just book Master Fu meant, even if he kept mum. The puzzled look on his face made it abundantly clear he wasn’t sure how Hawkmoth could have gotten it out of his Father’s safe.

Master Fu frowned, dragging his fingers over his mustache and beard. That was the rub. After all, Marinette had been right; Chat Noir’s own father was still their most likely suspect -- Akumatization notwithstanding.

He shook his head, forcing his wayward thoughts to focus, puzzling the array of possible solutions. “Your friend can be trusted, yes?”

Chat Noir straightened, nodding. “Implicitly.”

“Then it will be your task to keep it -- and him -- safe.” Master Fu’s eyes narrowed, tugging the bracelet carefully from his wrist. From the images he’d been poring over from the book, it was likely that Hawkmoth only knew about the main seven miraculous. It wouldn’t do to let him know that the others existed. “I relinquish these powers into your care. For now.”

Chat Noir blinked, tucking the bracelet into his pocket. “So when this is all over...” 

“Bring it back here. We still cannot afford to have any more of the Miraculous out for Hawkmoth to find.” Master Fu mused aloud. “If all goes well, then your friend will require more training than even you or Ladybug could provide. I will still need Wayzz’s help to continue the research into how best to help you defeat Hawkmoth...and to protect the other secrets that he may not have discovered yet.”

Chat Noir simply nodded, smiling as he slipped behind the door. “Then let me get moving. Ladybug will need us back as fast as possible. And the sooner this Akuma is handled, the sooner I can bring this back.”

* * *

Ladybug had slumped over, trying to stay focused, which was a difficult feat with one arm snagged in a mess of sticky spider silk threads.

Behind the mask, her blue eyes narrowed and as focused as they could be on the Akuma busy re-building the other half of her web ruined when Chat Noir used his Cataclysm beneath them. But it was clear she was a little distracted. 

Alya sighed, trying to stay calm herself.

Anansi had been busy, just out of sight of the web they were both stuck to, but they couldn’t tell how far away she had gone, so it wasn’t clear if it was safe to speak without Anansi hearing them.

It was clear to her that her hero wanted to get them both out -- hopefully to get her away and transformed so she could help as well -- but for that, she would need a distraction. 

Except that Ladybug’s usual distraction had just carried her boyfriend away to safety.

Nibbling at her the corner of her lip, Alya frowned. She already felt a little guilty that Nino had tried so hard to get her free, only to get himself hurt in the process. At least she could be sure that he had to be fine right now.

Chat Noir would make sure of it. Of course, he’d just had a close call of his own...

Alya tried to force her mind to focus, but it wasn’t easy. Since she still couldn’t access her powers, this all would have been so much easier with Nino at her side. 

A half of her wished she knew where Chat Noir had hidden Nino. To see for herself that Nino was alright -- and that Chat Noir was on his way back to help the pair of them escape -- so she could turn her entire focus to the task at hand.

Alya sighed audibly, letting her own head slump forward. Another rogue part of her wished she’d stuck to her guns and held onto her Miraculous, in spite of her own promises to Ladybug. Then they both wouldn’t be _stuck_ in this predicament right now.

“Ah, little sister.” Anansi swooped in closer, amused as the increasingly futile motions that Ladybug was making to try to escape. “Worried for your little boyfriend, when you should be far more worried for yourself? Or for _your_ favorite superhero?”

Her eyes narrowed, Alya stared back into her sister’s face, hiding among the arachnoid features. Nora had always been a little intense and competitive anyways, as she’d grown up at her side. 

But now, the whole effect was a little jarring, as her neck stuck out, allowing her spider-like features to loom a little too close for comfort.

“Then again, your lack of perspective it what got all of us into this mess in the first place…”

Grimacing, Alya struggled again against the heavy rope of webbing, glaring up at her Akumatized sister as she shifted her attention back towards Ladybug.

Ladybug’s eyes were moving fast, flitting to every possible, reachable corner for something, anything that might help them out.

She knew and trusted Ladybug -- and Chat Noir for that matter -- but her usual theories and actions were typically a little more well-thought out and considered that she had time for in all this rapid paced action.

Alya even knew she might be a little reckless at times, but she could only be so brave because she’d grown to trust Ladybug implicitly. 

And considering that Ladybug had trusted her with a Miraculous of her own -- and trusted her to keep those secrets from her blog and even her own friends and family -- had only fostered a greater level of trust within her. A greater bravery on her own part.

Of course, she couldn’t very well tell her sister that. And because she couldn’t, there was no way that Nora could ever understand.

Alya set her jaw. But even if her family could never understand, that didn’t make her decision to help wrong.

She had been paying attention, after all, even while she was stuck against the sticky threads.

Anansi was mostly in spider shape, especially when spinning a web and capturing prey. Which meant that was when she was most physically dominant.

Alya let her eyes slip closed, poring back over every old tale her parents had ever told her as a child. She knew that stories she’d always heard of Anansi in myth mentioned that the trickster god could often take a more human form.

And maybe -- just maybe -- that might make her a little more vulnerable…at that moment when she inevitably tried to take away their Miraculous.

Alya flinched when she looked up, realizing she had missed the up close moment when Ladybug had deployed a Lucky Charm -- a spotted teapot. 

Ladybug just stared at it, wide-eyed for an anxious moment.

Anansi’s grin turned dark, slinking away from her.

Swallowing a gasp, Alya’s nails bit into the braided strands, as her sister’s plan quickly became evident.

Ladybug’s yo-yo appeared as Anansi stalked towards her. The weapon was still heavy with the sticky threads that had kept it stuck against Ladybug, hindering her as she desperately tried to swing it around as a shield.

Alya’s face paled as the yo-yo stopped mid-spin, another bit of web coiling around the thin string and plastering it against Ladybug’s waist.

Paris couldn’t afford for Ladybug to be captured.

And she couldn't bear to lose her sister to Hawkmoth.

Alya blinked rapidly, breathing heavily as her gaze darting to the rooftops. 

_Where on earth was Chat Noir?_


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was hoping to have far more of this done before the episode, but unfortunately, I've been dealing with wrist issues that make typing quite painful. At this rate, I very much doubt I'll have the rest up before the real episode airs, but my plot is firm with 2700 words drafted of the remaining two chapters at this point. At most, I might add some further emotional ground that the episode might not cover.
> 
> Thanks to Kellarhi for beta-reading this chapter and to you all for bearing with me!

“Wait up, dude!”

“Sorry!” Chat Noir slowed his full-throttled pace, peering back at the green hood anxiously surveying the rooftops below his feet. “We really don’t have much time before Ladybug’s powers might fade.”

He didn’t want to lose track of Carapace as he was only just finding his footing on the sometimes treacherous rooftops, but his priority was a quick return to the battle -- to his Lady. 

Within seconds, Chat vaulted over several rooftops at once only to spot just how close Anansi loomed over his Lady. Adrenaline kicked him into gear, and he vaulted high up over the rooftops to get the literal drop on the Akuma. Ladybug very narrowly avoided a hit from Anansi, who, still looming over her, spun another thick layer of spider silk over Ladybug’s spotted suit. 

Ever watchful, Alya gasped as Chat descended into the fight, desperately trying to squirm away from him as he drew his claws out to defend his Lady. Weary relief reigned in Ladybug’s eyes at the sight of him. 

Anansi retreated, pouncing much closer to Alya before Chat Noir would be able to strike her.

Chat scowled. Clearly, he had taken a little too long. He could only hope it would all be worth the extra time. He shook his head, covering the wave of anxiousness with a quip. “I can see you really had this all wrapped up, Bugaboo.” 

His baton was out, trying to pry and break the webbing around Ladybug, all to no avail. 

“Chat…” Ladybug countered dangerously, her narrowed blue eyes peering back up at him before tracking back to their adversary. “What did I say about calling me Bugaboo?”

With a smirk, Chat Noir called out his Cataclysm, carefully unleashing it on the web near Ladybug. 

The curse turned the unbreakable web to ash, and it began to crumble apart beneath his claw.

With a furious hiss, Anansi darted towards him.

Ladybug gasped, reaching for her yo-yo as it broke free of the web, yet failed to grab it in time to be able to catch herself.

Gritting his teeth, Chat deployed his staff, bracing it into the wall of the building so Ladybug could catch hold of it instead to slow her descent.

But Alya was farther off, already on a rapid descent. He wasn’t sure if she would be able to catch the bar on her own. Not without a little help.

He saw that Ladybug’s eyes were trained on the blogger, and heard her gasp of realization -- and Alya’s, but he was already rushing to reach her.

* * *

Alya screamed, helpless to do much more than slam her eyes shut as she succumbed to gravity’s pull.

Those few seconds of free fall felt like a terrifying eternity.

Her stomach shot up to her throat as she braced for the inevitable hard impact waiting below.

It never came.

Not exactly, anyways.

As she was about to hit the ground, Alya collided with an alternate, but no less solid object. Before she could catch her bearings, her world spun on its axis. Both she and her rescuer rolled head over foot until they came to a stop a few meters away from the hazy remains of the web.

The hero in green panted lightly against the shell of her ear, dragging her awareness back into sharp focus. One of his gloved hands rested reassuringly on her upper arm, and the other was sandwiched firmly between her head and the ground.

Alya peered up to her rescuer’s eyes, only to find them pressed firmly shut, and she noticed the softest blush darkening his cheeks beneath a set of goggles and a hood.

Alya was fascinated. She quite literally had a scoop on her hands, because whoever this guy was, he was new. He _had to be_. 

Nibbling her lip, she glanced down to where her own hands were pressed into his chest. Maybe it was better to say she had her hands _on a scoop_?

She’d been watching the heroes for far too long. No one else had their ear as close to the ground as she did, or knew anything sooner about them than she did. 

What’s more, she knew how close to the vest Ladybug had her keeping her _own_ secrets. The night she’d been granted powers as Rena Rouge, she’d even had to hide them from her _best friend_ ; it had luckily worked out, even with her friend sleeping over that night.

The new hero had been careful to cushion her fall and had even kept the back of her head from colliding with concrete. She could only assume that he must have spent a fair while watching how Chat Noir operates. She could already see the massive hits on the blog post about him that her brain was rapidly piecing together.

Still a little dazed, Alya blinked. She pressed her hands against his chest, prompting him to sit up enough that she snuck out of his grasp and stand on her own power.

* * *

Carapace kneeled on the pavement, grimacing beneath the confines of the suit. He might not be as winded or sore as he would have been otherwise, but the collision had hurt.

He just hadn’t exactly been ready for the weight of her fall from two stories up, nor had he the slightest clue of how to counter against the rush of momentum he’d built up when sprinting towards her. He could hardly handle the physics in his textbook.

But he wouldn’t have had it any other way. He was never more certain of anything. The powers -- and subsequent burst of adrenaline -- had delivered Alya safely into his arms. The pain was well worth it.

She looked up into his goggled eyes, a million questions clear in her own.

He was tempted to pull her close and into his arms, happy that she was safe and whole. It had been much too close to happening. 

“Where did you come from? How long have you had your powers?”

Deflating, Carapace groaned at the tide of questions; he should have known. 

He should have been prepared for that.

Instead, he just sighed, and he tugged her into a close hug against his chest.

Alya’s eyes widened, and she flinched against his touch.

Carapace was a little puzzled and quiet at her actions but moved quite willingly when she’d pressed him away. “Are you okay, Alya?”

Alya blanched, her eyes carefully searching his. 

He almost didn’t see it before she smirked, putting on her bravest face. “I’ve had far worse than this. It’s hard not to, around Paris these days.”

“But I’ve not seen _you_ around, Paris.” She tapped her finger over her lips. “So it’s odd to me that you seem to know who _I_ am.” 

Carapace’s fingers gripped his shell shield as he processed his misstep. “Not know the Ladyblogger?” Instead, he let his lips tilt upwards, staring at her fondly, as he dipped into a slight bow over her hand that would have done Chat Noir proud. “I’m afraid your reputation precedes you, Miss Cesaire.”

She peered down at him, speculatively. “Not well enough, clearly.”

Blinking rapidly through his goggles, Carapace looked up at her with his brows furrowed. 

Unabashed, Alya pointedly lifted and dropped his hand. “I _do_ have a boyfriend you know. He’s with me often enough in the interviews and the live feed.”

“Oh?” Carapace grinned, secretly pleased at the mention, peering carefully around the streets. He hadn’t exactly forgotten that her sister was still Akumatized, clearly hiding away somewhere out of sight. But he peered quickly around the alleyway only to find the coast was suspiciously, distressingly, clear. 

“Oh... right.” Alya murmured as her eyes chased the same path he took through the alley. She pointedly took another step back. “So there’s no need for you to be so _handsy_. I’m pretty sure my boyfriend wouldn’t appreciate that.” 

“Huh.” He murmured gently, breaking eye contact. It had almost baffled him how quickly he had forgotten. To Alya right now, he wasn’t Nino. “Is that right?”

Scowling, Alya stared him down flatly. “I know I don’t.” 

Smiling bitterly, Carapace’s shoulders hunched as he lifted up his shield. “You should get away from here. We might not be able to see the Akuma, but she isn’t going down without a fight.” 

“I’ve been this close before for more than my share of battles.” The hard edge of challenge in her tone, and her arms crossed over her chest were a sure sign that his battles for the day were only just beginning. “I know what I’m doing.”

Carapace’s eyes tightened as a heavy sigh crept between his lips. She was so stubborn. “Alya, you _need_ to go.”

“No.” She pointed her finger at him. “You need me here. This Akuma is _my_ sister. None of you know her as well.”

Pressing his lips together firmly, Carapace stepped back into her personal space, his gaze stubbornly matching her own.

“Children? Let’s behave shall we?” Chat Noir chided, half distracted he observed the streets suspiciously as he dropped down from the rooftops. “If I can hear you bickering, so can the Akuma.”

Alya’s eyes scanned the rooftops. “Where is Ladybug?”

“She is catching a breather so we can finally take this Akuma down, once and _fur_ all.”

Alya rolled her eyes a little harder after she noticed the grin on Carapace’s face.

“Alya.” Chat Noir was a little more serious now, placing a clawed hand on her shoulder. “You really do need to get at least as far away as you can. I know this is your sister, but we need to know that you’re safe.”

Alya’s arms crossed over her chest, unleashing an impatient huff. “Where are you going?”

Chat Noir grinned, tossing them both an unrepentant wink as he vaulted into the air. “To find an itsy bitsy spider.”

* * *

Marinette plastered her back against the stone, not willing to peer down, lest she managed to reveal herself to anyone who might be watching below.

She didn’t dare make a sound. Anansi could still be near. And if Alya’s sister found her, vulnerable as she was, they wouldn’t have much hope of defeating Hawkmoth.

With a weary sigh, Marinette unraveled the cloth that Chat Noir had handed to her before diving back down to the street to seek out and distract Anansi.

“Good, Kitty.” Marinette breathed, smiling softly as she spotted the orange and white pendant. Carefully, she tucked the slightly warm necklace back into the cloth, holding it securely in her fist.

Her head sank back against the stone, letting her eyes slip shut for a moment’s rest. They all needed a moment to regroup...and she needed to plan now that they had at least one extra pair of hands.

She was pretty sure a new Lucky Charm would appear once she was ready to summon one. Chat had come through with Master Fu, though she hadn’t voiced her thoughts to him.

Even as Tikki ate quickly through the small bag of sweets, they didn’t have much time. Not with the Akuma still free to wreak havoc.

And definitely not with another new Miraculous holder in the mix.

She hadn’t time to learn much when Tikki had granted her powers.

So if this hero was new -- and it wasn’t likely that Master Fu would keep that from her -- he would not have had long at all to prepare.

Hopefully, Chat Noir had managed to give the holder of the turtle Miraculous a crash course.

* * *

Anansi had tunneled down beneath the road… giving them a brief reprieve while she gathered her strength and her plans. 

Three against one wasn’t exactly fair odds.

For them, she sneered. At least it wouldn’t be once she was through with them. 

Hawkmoth’s suggestion buzzed in her mind. “What are you doing, Anansi? Get back out there and get their Miraculous!”

“All in good time, Hawkmoth.” Anansi asserted, drawing back into the shadows. “The best victories come to those who wait…”

**Author's Note:**

> More to come!


End file.
